Project information

The Place2Be helping children grow with prospects

Invest Now – Save Later. Through our early intervention counselling and mental health support in schools, we stop problems before they spiral out of control. Help celebrate our 16th birthday by raising £16,000 to expand our work with children, their families, schools and the whole community.

Charity information: Place2Be

Need

The Place2Be works with some of the country’s most hard-to-reach families in areas where unemployment, violence, crime and substance abuse are common. It is not surprising that children in these areas find it difficult to concentrate and learn and fail to reach their potential, entering a cycle of low aspiration, attainment and achievement. Poor behaviour, truancy, drug/alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, involvement in crime are further consequences of leaving children’s problems unaddressed.

Solution

Prevention is better than cure and by intervening early, The Place2Be offers a cost effective solution - invest now and save later. The Place2Be is based in primary and secondary schools and provides non-stigmatising, accessible support including one-to-one and group counselling sessions and a lunchtime self-referral service for children. We also support parents, carers and school staff members with dedicated counselling and training.

Aim 1

Support up to 70,000 at-risk children and families in 190 schools across the UK by 2015

Activities

» Establish The Place2Be in more schools in our existing areas, deepening our presence » Introduce a wider menu of services from which schools can choose to effectively meet the needs of the children, families and communities they serve.

What success will look like

Success will be establishing The Place2Be’s services in further schools across the UK, building on our current presence of 172 schools

Aim 2

Extend the reach of The Place2Be’s Parent Service across the UK

Activities

» Establish A Place for Parents in additional areas across the UK, building on our existing presence in eight areas » Ensure accessibility of A Place for Parents to parents from all Place2Be schools in each area

What success will look like

Success will be establishing A Place for Parents in further locations across the UK, increasing from our current number of eight areas

Aim 3

Support more young people as they make the important transition to secondary school

Activities

» Continue roll-out of our Transition Years service into further secondary schools across our 20 established areas

What success will look like

Success will be establishing our Transition Years service in further secondary schools across the UK, from our current number of nine schools

Impact

The Place2Be delivers positive results:
Children will be happier, better behaved and more effective learners.
Parents will feel better supported and more willing to engage with the schools.
Teachers will be more able to focus on teaching and the schools will see noticeable improvements in staff morale.

This will be demonstrated through our comprehensive monitoring and evaluation methodology, “one of the most sophisticated outcomes measurement systems New Philanthropy Capital has seen.”

Risk

The Place2Be relies on a mix of funding from schools, local authorities and private funders to sustain our work in each area. This includes a contribution of up to 50% from each of the schools, demonstrating their commitment. With the public sector cutbacks, contributions from schools and statutory sources could be seriously affected. We are working to diversify our income sources with support from individuals, trusts and companies becoming increasingly important to sustain service delivery.

Reporting

We will report to donors according to their wishes which may include:
•Monthly email updates
•Quarterly newsletters
•Updates on the website
•More detailed tailored reports, for example at six and 12 month intervals
•Opportunities to visit projects and see the impact of their support first hand

Location

The Place2Be works in some of the most disadvantaged and deprived areas across the UK: Blyth, Brent, Burnley, Cardiff, Croydon, Durham, Ealing, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Enfield, Glasgow, Greenwich, Harlow, Leeds, Manchester, Medway, Nottingham, Shoreditch, Southwark and Wandsworth. These are areas of multiple deprivation with a higher proportion of children with Special Educational Needs, children on the Child Protection Register and looked after children than the national average.

Beneficiaries

Children
•Enabling them to share their troubles/emotions
•Increasing their self esteem and coping skills
•Helping them communicate more effectively & build relationships with others
Parents
•Improving their understanding of & communication with their children
•Helping them improve their coping/parenting skills
•Increasing their confidence
Schools/communities
•Reducing problems caused by disruptive children
•Reducing truancy/exclusions
•Raising staff morale, increasing staff retention

Why Us?

Based on 16 years’ direct experience and extensive expertise in the field of children's mental health we have a proven model which makes a tangible and significant difference to the schools and communities we serve. From starting in one primary school, The Place2Be is now established in 172 schools in 20 areas across the UK and has successfully piloted and rolled-out further elements of our work including our Parent Service, Transition Years service, training and professional qualifications.